THREE TIPS FOR PLANNING YOUR ENGAGEMENT SESSION

In today's post I'll be sharing my top three tips for planning your engagement session. I remember being engaged and it was such a sweet season of anticipation. A lot goes into preparing for your engagement photos and while it can be an overwhelming process for a lot of couples, it should be fun and exciting! Here are some ways to help you feel more prepared.

1) Talk with your photographer about shooting locations. It's easy to want all kinds of different looks for your images but there are a few things to consider when deciding where to take your photos.

When a client shares the vision they have for their photos and they trust me to identify a few locations for them to consider, we can narrow it down to one or two specific looks. Keeping the shooting locations to a minimum will help make your experience seamless and stress free. What look do you gravitate towards? A beach session, something really contingent on the changing seasons like tree blossoms and fall color or do you love the feel of an urban setting? These are just a few different directions you could go! I encourage my couples to make it personal and think outside of the box. A lot of my couples live in other states so maybe you want me to come to you! I even had one couple who loves the water so much that they chose to do their engagement photos on a sailboat.

2) Get your hair and makeup done professionally. This may seem like a small one but it makes such a big difference and who doesn't love to be pampered a little? You can also use this as an opportunity to see how you connect with a hair and makeup artist for your wedding day! I have so many wonderfully talented makeup and hair artists that I recommend to my clients on a regular basis. Something else you can tie into an afternoon of pampering is also getting your nails done. You want to show of your sparkly new ring so why not have beautifully manicured nails to go with it!

3) Choose outfits that offer variety. I often suggest doing a formal look and something a little more on the casual side as well. For the cooler months of the year, dressing in layers are a great way to create a unique look. I don't know about you but I find that I use Pinterest as a search engine more than I do for Google sometimes. Pinterest can be an incredible resource for inspiration when planning what you're going to wear for your photos. I love these kinds of details so I’m always encouraging my clients to send me their outfit ideas! It gives me an opportunity to share some of my thoughts about how what you wear will complete the look for your photos.

Engagement sessions aren’t all the same and they shouldn’t be! Your love story is uniquely yours and your session should be a reflection of that. Have fun with planning your engagement photos and remember that these images are preserving such an incredible time in your life together!

Samantha James Photography is a professional photography studio located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We specialize in film wedding photography. We are available to travel worldwide as destination wedding photographers.